Space Exploration
Private U.S. Lunar Lander Suffers ‘Critical’ Anomaly after Launch
Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander was meant to be the first commercial spacecraft to operate on the surface of the moon. Instead it may not reach lunar orbit at all
Latest Stories
Genetics
How Supergenes Shape Evolution
By locking together traits that work well together, supergenes provide striking evolutionary advantages. But they can also be costly because they make it nearly impossible to purge bad mutations...
Artificial Intelligence
AI Safety Research Only Enables the Dangers of Runaway Superintelligence
AI will become inscrutable and uncontrollable. We need to stop AI development until we have a necessary safety conversation
Weather
AI Weather Forecasting Can’t Replace Humans—Yet
GraphCast and other artificial intelligence-based forecasting tools offer a whole new way to predict the weather, but they have limits
Epidemiology
What to Know about the New COVID Variant JN.1
A new variant of the COVID-causing virus SARS-CoV-2 is behind the latest surge in infections this winter, but it doesn't appear to cause more severe disease
Fossil Fuels
The U.S. Energy Transition Explained in 8 Numbers
Solar and natural gas surged last year in the U.S., while wind stumbled
Astronomy
Without the Moon, Human Society Might Not Exist
The moon helps us keep time, inspires religions and shapes science, yet it still keeps secrets from us.
Planetary Science
Uranus and Neptune Have Similar Hues, New Study Shows
A new analysis finds that images from Voyager 2's close encounter with Neptune show the planet as being far too blue
Arts
How I Discovered a Likely Pen Name of Louisa May Alcott
An English scholar’s search uncovered several stories likely written by the author of Little Women
Neuroscience
Advances in Mind-Decoding Technologies Raise Hopes (and Worries)
Devices that connect brains to computers are increasingly sophisticated. Can the nascent neurorights movement keep pace?
